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Author
Topic: Could it be HIV (Read 2785 times)

I recently returned from a trip to Thailand where I ran a marathon. I also participated in some of the naughty nightlife in Bangkok. One woman I met I guess she was a hooker, well we were both drunk and whether incorrectly applied or not the condom fell off. I ejaculated inside her after about 5 minutes. I am very concerned and when I returned home I got checked out right away. I was tested for everything including HIV which came back negative. It was only 2 weeks after the exposure so it really didn't count for much. At about 3 weeks I began to experience some symptoms;Sore throat, muscle fatigue, and I developed a reactivation of some old insect bites that I had gotten a few years ago from a trip to Cuba. These were on the inner aspect of my thigh, which I thought was quite strange. I then developed a strange small skin blotch if you will on my calf which is still there. The other symptoms abated after about 2 weeks. O and I had enlarged inguinal lymph nodes. I did some reading about HIV and freaked out and sort of played that losing mind game with myself that you describe repeatedly in these forums.

Anyway its now been 8 weeks since exposure and I think I will get tested again. Is this a good idea and I recognize that I will also need to get tested again at 12 weeks. What are my chances of being HIV positive. The thought is preoccupying my mind on a daily basis. I have certainly learned a valuable lesson about condom use, and by the way if anyone from the west travels to Thailand make sure you bring western purchased condoms with you. The condoms that they sell in Thailand are way too small for the average individual.

By the way I washed my genital area with soap and water immediately following the exposure including the foreskin and urethral meatus. couldn't see any tears but who knows. Thanks in advance I will check back to see if there is any response. I just hope I haven't seroconverted

First you need to know excessive drinking and sex don't mix. Symptoms or lack of symptoms is no way of diagnosing HIV. HIV has no specific symptoms. You did have a risk, but it is harder for a man to become infected from a woman. You will need to test at 13 weeks past you last unprotected sex.

Hiv is a fragile, difficult virus to transmit and more so from a woman to a man. While your chances of testing negative are good, you have had a risk and you do need to test.

The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days. If you test negative at eight weeks, it will be an excellent indication of your true hiv status, but must be confirmed at the three month point.

While you tested at a good time for the other STIs, you need to know that syphilis shares a three month window with hiv and you would be wise to test again for syphilis as well.

Don't obsess over any symptoms, because symptoms or the lack of symptoms mean nothing when it comes to hiv infection. Only the tests will reliably reveal your hiv status. Get tested and feel free to let us know what your results are.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks for your response it did provide me with some comfort. I did get a 60 day check for both HIV and Syphillis as per your suggestion. It came back negative for both, so now I stil have the 90 day test to come. I feel good about it and Im optimistic that I will end up in the clear. This entire xperience has impacted my sexual behavious in a major way.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

But you do need to learn from this experience. As long as you always use a condom for intercourse you can have all the sex you want with as many partners as you like and you will still be ok as far as HIV is concerned. Latex condoms provide very effective protection.

Also, keep in mind there are other STDs out there which are actually much easier to acquire than HIV. So if you are sexually active it's a good idea to regularly do a full STD panel -- at least annually and every six months is even better.

This time out I expect you will come out of this ok as far as HIV is concerned.